Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) Shares Sold by Castle Wealth Management LLC

Castle Wealth Management LLC lessened its position in shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) by 28.7% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 8,132 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 3,273 shares during the period. Castle Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $848,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley during the 2nd quarter valued at $25,000. POM Investment Strategies LLC boosted its position in shares of Morgan Stanley by 1,147.6% in the second quarter. POM Investment Strategies LLC now owns 262 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 241 shares during the period. Bank & Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley in the second quarter valued at about $26,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley in the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Finally, Bbjs Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley during the 2nd quarter valued at about $29,000. 84.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Stephen J. Luczo sold 60,000 shares of Morgan Stanley stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.17, for a total value of $7,150,200.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 138,363 shares in the company, valued at $16,488,718.71. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.24% of the company’s stock.

Morgan Stanley Stock Down 0.8 %

NYSE:MS opened at $130.50 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.96. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $108.19 and a 200-day moving average of $101.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $212.08 billion, a PE ratio of 20.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 1.34. Morgan Stanley has a 52 week low of $73.96 and a 52 week high of $133.52.

Morgan Stanley Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 31st will be paid a $0.925 dividend. This represents a $3.70 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.84%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 31st. Morgan Stanley’s payout ratio is 56.32%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on MS shares. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Morgan Stanley from $95.00 to $107.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Thursday, October 17th. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $102.00 to $112.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 8th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $121.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley from $120.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. Finally, Evercore ISI raised their target price on Morgan Stanley from $105.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Morgan Stanley has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $109.24.

About Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley, a financial holding company, provides various financial products and services to corporations, governments, financial institutions, and individuals in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. It operates through Institutional Securities, Wealth Management, and Investment Management segments.